The Forest
by Bleach Fox
Summary: When the surface world was destroyed by toxic chemicals, the PEACE Project began. Their job? To restore the Earth's atmosphere. Decades later however, no progress has been made and humanity is nearing it's end. So they activated the ROOT Program, leaving humanity's greatest mind in the hands of their AI in the hopes the solution would be found.


The Forest:

\- When the surface world was destroyed by toxic chemicals, the PEACE Project began. Their job? To restore the Earth's atmosphere. Decades later however, no progress has been made and humanity is nearing it's end. So they activated the ROOT Program, leaving humanity's greatest mind in the hands of their AI in the hopes the solution would be found.

Disclaimer: I do not own any right to Bleach or any of the characters in the story.

Warnings: Yaoi (boy x boy), swearing

'_You have five minutes remaining.'_

Ichigo sighed, looking up at the clock above him as it ticked past five minutes. Then he focused back on his ECHO device, a handheld monitor that was his connection to the Mainframe. It was currently displaying:

_Question 21/21:_

_Which law relates solubility of solvents with pressure?_

_A) Hess' Law_

_B) Henry's Law_

_C) Charles' Law_

_D) Boyle's Law_

Ichigo sighed again and scratched his head, frowning in thought. He knew the answer, of course he did. But it was just out of reach, on the edge of his thoughts but he wasn't quite able to grasp it. He glanced up at the clock, two minutes to go. He glanced at the question again, biting his bottom lip. It definitely began with H, so was it Henry… or Hess?

'_Thirty seconds left.'_

Ichigo looked between the two, panic rising fast.

'_Ten seconds.'_

He hurriedly circled A then realised his mistake and scribbled quickly, circling B instead. A buzzer went off and he sighed, dropping the ECHO device on the table. It went blank a moment later. A few seconds later, the ECHO began beeping, twenty-one beeps to be exact as it processed Ichigo's exam. There was a long pause after the last beep and he let out a sigh of relief when the screen flashed green.

"_Congratulations Ichigo, you've passed.' _A woman materialised in front of him, smiling warmly. _'Would you like to have your cake now?'_

"Sure thing Mum."

She disappeared as quickly as she'd appeared and the door hissed open, allowing Ichigo to exit the room. He followed a series of opening doors, all of which closed as soon as he stepped through, shutting with a soft hiss as the security locks engaged. When he reached the Kitchen he couldn't help but smile when he saw the cupcake sat on the table, one candle pushed into the treat.

Ichigo didn't get food like this often, if ever. Only on his birthday was he allowed cake and only after he'd finished and passed his exam. The woman reappeared as he picked up the cupcake and blew out the candle.

'_What did you wish for?'_

"If I told you, it wouldn't come true, would it?" He smiled and bit into the sweet treat, enjoying every second of it. But within moments it was gone and Ichigo sighed. "Why can't we have cake more often."

'_Because it's not part of your daily food intake. And it wouldn't be special if you could have it every day.' _She smiled, holding out a hand. Ichigo rolled his eyes and reached out to touch it. He couldn't of course, his hand went right through hers. She was just a hologram after all, a projected image so Ichigo didn't have to talk to thin air. _'Come with me, it's time for your examination.'_

Every year on his birthday, Ichigo underwent both a physical test of his strength and agility, and an exam to test his mind, to make sure he had learnt all his assigned lessons from that year. If he passed – and Ichigo always did – he was rewarded with a cupcake. Then it was time for his examination, where Ichigo was heading now.

He entered the Medical Bay and lay down on the cool metallic table. Suspended above him was a large machine with several arms and appendages. His mother could control this machine through the buildings software. She was, after all, in control of everything. The machine came to life and Ichigo held out an arm as a syringe came down, injecting him with a sedative. Within moments he was out cold.

Ichigo woke up to find himself still on the same metal table. His head felt sore, as it always did after the examination and as he stood, it took a moment to regain his balance. The floor seemed further away, maybe by a few inches. But this was also normal and he knew within a few days, he would adjust to this new sensation.

"Mother?" He asked the empty air and she appeared instantly.

'_Yes Ichigo?'_

"How old am I now?"

'_Seventeen. One more year of learning Ichigo, and you'll be ready to find the Solution.'_

He nodded in reply, but didn't say anything. The Solution, his purpose.

Ichigo had been woken early from cryosleep to help solve the Earth's greatest issue, a virus which had been unleashed over a hundred years ago that had destroyed the environment and human civilisations. Those who had the planned for this type of catastrophe had built this place to find a solution, to destroy the virus. But the years went by and no progress was made.

His mother had told him that a new plan had been developed, that everyone would be put into cryosleep except for the one they knew could solve this. That person was him. Everyone had left their lives and trust in him, to find the Solution. Once he turned eighteen, Ichigo would finish his education and begin working on finding the answer. He wasn't alone though, he had his Mother who was teaching him and would help him with his research when the time came.

She wasn't really his mother of course, just an artificial intelligence created to help raise and teach him, to help prepare him for his task. She was there so Ichigo didn't go crazy with loneliness, even if she wasn't a real person, Ichigo still thought of her has his mother. She had raised him after all.

Her name was Masaki, a name he'd found in a child's book when he was learning to read. In this book, Masaki was the protagonist's mother, a kind, caring woman who loved her children dearly. So he'd named his artificial mother Masaki, because she cared and loved him just as the mother in the story had loved her children.

'_Ichigo?' _He blinked, coming back to his senses at his name. _'Don't forget your exercises. Remember…'_

"A healthy body leads to a healthy mind." Ichigo recited and he unsteadily made his way out of the room. After walking for a few minutes, the nausea subsided and he was able to walk properly again.

In his room, Ichigo changed into his exercise clothes before heading to the large, open space adjacent to the building's airlock, which he liked to call the pavilion. Here, the area opened up to allow him plenty of room to exercise, and he knew the airlock was completely secure. His predecessors had secured it before going into cryosleep and the only person who could now open it was his mother.

Ichigo sighed and began stretching.

Every day was the same, wake up and change, have breakfast then Masaki would spend the rest of the morning teaching him, mostly Chemistry. After lunch he was given an hour to exercise before back to lessons. The only free time he had was an hour after dinner in which Ichigo mostly sat in front of the airlock, wondering what the world was like outside.

Masaki had told him many times that the world was a toxic, desolate wasteland. That human's could no longer survive outside and he was never to set foot outside. If he was contaminated then Ichigo would die, there would be nothing she could do to save him. Because he'd grown up in this sterile, clean environment the toxins in the air would kill him instantly. So Ichigo sat and waited as each day went by, learning as much as he could in anticipation of the day he would begin working on the Solution.

Almost nine months later, his eighteenth bridal drawing ever nearer, everything went wrong.

Ichigo was woken up with a start when the alarms started blaring, his room flashing orange before plunging into darkness in time with the alarm system. He stumbled to the door and out into the hallway, thankful the lights were on. "Mum?!" He called, walking towards the pavilion slowly. He'd never heard this alarm before, but something about it made his blood run cold. He had just reached the doorway, getting a view of the airlock and to both his horror and delight, it was opening.

Before he could stop himself, Ichigo was running across the room. Inside he could see a person, and actual, living, breathing person!

'_Ichigo stop!' _A wall slammed down between him and the airlock, making him jump back in surprise. His Mother appeared then, a frown on her face. _'He's contaminated.'_

"But-"

'_Go put your Hazmat Suit on. Then we'll deal with our guest.' _Ichigo didn't hesitate, he ran to the Medical Bay and grabbed the Hazmat Suit, pulling it on eagerly and was back at the airlock within minutes. _We'll take him to the Medical Bay, the Quarantine Room.'_ Masaki instructed. _"Be careful when touching him Ichigo, he's unconscious but most likely contagious.'_

Ichigo nodded and held his breath as the wall was lifted up. Exhaling slowly, he entered the airlock. Inside there was indeed a man, he was face down and apparently unconscious. Masaki could read his vital signs so Ichigo knew it was safe to approach him without being attacked. Slowly, he turned the man over, eagerly taking in the newcomer's face.

He was wearing a respirator mask, most likely for the toxins outside, the mask covered most of his face. But Ichigo had been preoccupied by his hair, it was a light blue colour. Ichigo had seen movies and pictures of other people of course, but had never seen someone with blue hair before. Maybe it was a side effect of the toxins?

Giving himself a shake, Ichigo stooped down and put his arms under the other mans. He managed to haul him up and began dragging him towards the Quarantine Room. It was slow work, the man was a lot heavier than Ichigo anticipated but after ten minutes they were there. He lay motionless on the pristine bed, his smudged and dirty skin looking even filthier against the clean sheets. The only indication he was alive was the steady rising and falling of his chest.

'_Ichigo, bring over the apparatus so we can see how bad the damage is.'_

He did, wheeling in the machine which would allow his Mother to monitor the stranger's vitals and determine his condition. All he needed to do was insert a catheter into the man's arm. Once this was done, it took only minutes for his Mother to assess him.

'_There's a lot of damage. It seems he was caught in a chemical storm, there are several burns on his body. Ichigo, you'll need to help make the medicine to treat him. He should wake up in a few hours and he might become hostile. I don't want you in this room until we know he wont attack you.'_

"Ok, ok." Ichigo let out a shaky breath, slowly inserting the needle into the man's vein. As soon as it was in, a steady flow of fluids began running into his arm. "Can I take this suit off now?" It was starting to get uncomfortable.

'_Of course, let's go.' _

He was more than glad to leave the room and peel off the Hazmat Suit. When he could finally breathe again, Ichigo dragged a chair over to the Quarantine Room and sat down next to the observation window to watch the newcomer sleep. Masaki said he would wake up in a few hours and Ichigo wanted to be there when he did.

'_Ichigo, the medicine?'_

"Oh, right." He got up and under Masaki's careful instructions created the medicine that would help heal the burns on the strangers body. It took a few hours, he had never made anything this complicated before and by the time he was finished, the man had woken up. Ichigo almost dropped the container when he saw him sitting up on the bed. "Um, hello?"

The man's head snapped up and he looked at him. His eyes were also blue, but a darker shade than his hair. They looked at each other in silence for a long time. Then he began looking around again, surveying his surroundings. "Where am I?" His voice was deeper than Ichigo expected, he must have been older then he originally thought to. Those blue eyes narrowed, in annoyance most likely. "Well?" He demanded.

His Mother had warned him about this, that the stranger could get violent. For once Ichigo was glad that she was so protective. "You're in The PEACE Facility, although that project has been abandoned for years. It's just me and my Mother now."

"PEACE?" He repeatedly blankly. "What does that mean?"

"Practice of Environmental Analysis to Change Earth. They tried to fix the Earth, it didn't work." Ichigo approached the glass and sat down in front of it. "What's your name?"

"What's yours?"

"You're suspicious of me?" Ichigo asked, his question answered when the man scoffed.

"Why wouldn't I be? I've just woken up in a cell in some sort of _facility_ as you've put it. Why should I be suspicious?" The man approached the glass, standing opposite Ichigo. "Maybe you've captured me to do experiments on me."

Ichigo couldn't help it, he laughed. "You walked in, remember? Have you seen how old I am? Besides I'm trying to save the world, why would I want to kill you?"

The stranger considered this for a long time. "Grimmjow. My name's Grimmjow."

"I'm Ichigo."

"So _Ichigo_…" The man he now knew as Grimmjow said his name slowly, testing it. Ichigo found it strange to hear it come from someone other than his Mother, especially a man. "How exactly do you plan on saving the world? And why am I locked up?"

"You're locked up because you could be contagious, or dangerous." He pressed a hand to the glass, surprised when Grimmjow mirrored him, the pane being the only barrier between their hands. "And you should rest, you got caught in a chemical storm." Ichigo indicated the burns across his arm. "I've got medicine for that."

"Thanks."

Ichigo passed it through a slot in the door and the man began applying the ointment. He watched for a while before speaking again. "How did you get inside?"

"The locks on the door were rusting, a bit of force and they broke. You should probably get that fixed." His eyes widened, hands stilling as he fixed on something behind Ichigo. "What the hell is _that_?"

Ichigo turned, smiling when he saw Masaki. She smiled back. _'I will fix it, we don't want any more… intrusions.' _She looked at Grimmjow. _'You should rest, those burns will heal in a few weeks and then you can leave. Ichigo, I'll need your help with the door. He should be fine in Quarantine.'_

"Yes Mother." He glanced back at Grimmjow as he left the room. The man was still looking at Masaki with a shocked expression. She disappeared a moment later when the door hissed open and Ichigo left.

Ichigo had to put his Hazmat suit back on as the door was behind the Quarantine Airlock. This was the closest he'd ever been to the outside, having never been beyond the Airlock before. Just as Grimmjow had said, the door was rusted over. Masaki set to work welding new parts as Ichigo held them in place. Within a few hours it was as secure as the day it had been originally locked.

He had intended to return to Grimmjow, but the door to the Medical Bay wouldn't open. _'You need to sleep Ichigo. He will be there in the morning.'_

Ichigo sighed, knowing nothing he would say could convince her otherwise. "Alright." He muttered, the door to his bedroom opening as he approached.

The next two weeks Ichigo spent almost entirely in Grimmjow's company. At first the man would barely talk to him but eventually, with a lot of coaxing on Ichigo's part and promises he'd be let out of Quarantine if he reciprocated, Grimmjow began to open up. Then finally one day, Masaki told Ichigo it would be safe to let Grimmjow out. He almost tripped as he ran towards the Medical bay to deliver the good news.

Grimmjow was lying on the bed, but awake as he turned his head when Ichigo entered the room. "It's a bit early for breakfast isn't it?" He asked, sitting up.

Ichigo didn't answer but smiled and opened the door before stepping back. "You're free to come out now."

He raised an eyebrow, but didn't move from the bed. "And you're sure I'm not contaminated or anything?"

"Yes, my Mother has done all the tests. You're safe." Ichigo held out a hand and after a long pause, Grimmjow stood and walked over to take it. Ichigo inhaled sharply when they touched, it was after all the first time he'd ever touched another living person. Grimmjow's skin was warm, the hand firm in his own but after a moment it withdrew. A silence fell between them for a few minutes.

"So what now?"

"Huh?"

Grimmjow huffed, eyes narrowing slightly. "What now?" He repeated. "Am I leaving? Are you taking me to a different room or something?"

"No." Ichigo replied slowly as he tried to get his thoughts in order. He was still processing how close Grimmjow was, the body heat coming off him was quite distracting. "Well I mean you have a room I can show you where, but you're also free to go anywhere you want now. Once you're fully healed you can leave. But those burns are still a problem." He pointed to the faint scarring on the man's arms.

Grimmjow shrugged in reply, and Ichigo touched one of the burns carefully. He inhaled sharply but didn't pull away as Ichigo examined them carefully. They were almost healed, another week with the ointment and he'd be healthier then ever. Then he quickly let go before it became awkward like the handholding did.

Ichigo did indeed show him to his new room, across the hall from his own. After that was a quick tour of the facility, Ichigo had been instructed to tell Grimmjow he wasn't allowed in the Labs but he had free access to everywhere else. Not that it matter since Masaki was the only one who could open the doors. She however was leaving them alone, at least her physical form was.

Eventually they settled in the Kitchen for breakfast when Ichigo noticed something odd. The food Grimmjow was eating was different from his own. Masaki was in charge of their food so he'd never seen the man eating until now. He was eating some sort of light brown sludge made from grains by the look of it. Ichigo looked down at his own food, it was almost the same consistency but thinner and his was black, not the beige of Grimmjow's.

Masaki appeared at that moment. "Why do we eat different things?" He asked her.

Grimmjow looked up to see Masaki had appeared and frowned, his eyes going to Ichigo's food. _'Because Grimmjow is from the outside, he needs different food to counter the poisons from outside.'_

"Ok, ok." Ichigo shrugged and returned to eating but Grimmjow was still frowning at his food.

"What are you eating Ichigo?"

Before he could answer, his Mother did for him. _'Ichigo has never been outside so he needs supplements he lacks from this. He does not need the protection you do because he has never been harmed by the toxins.'_

Grimmjow looked at her for a long moment and Ichigo was sure the man was about to say something else. But then he sighed, his frown disappearing. "If you say so." He finally said and continued eating as well.

Ichigo's studies for the next week were greatly disrupted as he was always distracted by the thought of Grimmjow. After two days of this Masaki allowed him to have the remainder of the week off, something she had never done before and he knew he would have to study hard to make up for this in time for his birthday which was just over two months away.

He had asked Grimmjow if there were others like him, other humans outside but the man would never give him a straight answer. Most of the time he just ignored to question, along with most of Ichigo's other queries too. In fact Ichigo knew very little of the man's life outside, even though he ended up telling Grimmjow everything about himself, including what his life work was to be.

He had scoffed at that. "How do you intend to save the world from here? It isn't possible. If there was a solution it would have been found years ago by those scientists of yours. Even they gave up."

"They didn't give up." Ichigo replied. "They entrusted the future to me. I can't fail them, or you."

Grimmjow had no answer for that part.

…

Grimmjow's three weeks came and went quickly. The burns on his body were now healed, leaving behind only light scarring which was barely visible. Whatever medicine the hologram and Ichigo had used, it was beyond anything he would have found out in the world that was for sure. He was also sure that Ichigo was the reason he hadn't been kicked out yet.

It was clear to see, at least to him anyway, that Ichigo was developing a crush on him. Most likely because he'd never met a human before him. It was also obvious that Ichigo had no way to hide this from Grimmjow, which was how he knew the younger man was smitten.

The thought wasn't that repelling when Grimmjow considered it. Ichigo was attractive, if a little naïve being sheltered in this facility for his whole life. If he ever had to go outside, it would be nearly impossible for him to adapt. Not that he'd ever be able to leave, the hologram he called his Mother would never let him.

Grimmjow didn't trust her. She was a machine capable of projecting a form, a form which would be receptive for a young child so she was his _Mother_. Where Ichigo was from, who his real parent were, Grimmjow had no idea and Ichigo never spoke of them. The more time Grimmjow spent in this place, the more he got the feeling Masaki was hiding something. Whatever it was, Ichigo was a central part to some plot and it was definitely not to save the world as he thought.

One day, almost two months after he'd arrived at the facility, Grimmjow saw his chance. Ichigo was in one of his lessons which would be going on for a few hours yet. During this time, Masaki would be distracted teaching him which would mean she wasn't watching him.

The doors were sturdy, no visible handle to open them. But opening a panel on the nearby wall, Grimmjow manipulated the wires until it opened with a soft hiss. Looking around to make sure Masaki had not appeared, he entered the Labs. It was the once place Ichigo had told him was restricted and it also the one place that would have answers.

The walls inside were stencilled with a single word, ROOT. It seemed like a good enough place to start so he began looking for any connection to the word. It took far longer than he would have liked but eventually Grimmjow found a folder which at least gave him the full acronym.

_Robotic Optimisation Of Recollections._

"Robotic…" He murmured, quickly checking the folders contents. It contained detailed designs for some sort of android but not Masaki, this was to be a fully functioning android, one which could age, could bleed, could for all intents and purposes be disguised as a human. "Ichigo…"

The food, the black sludge Ichigo always ate, he never had anything different. Even his drink was made of the stuff. Grimmjow had always thought it was weird that he survived on it. But then again, maybe Ichigo wasn't as human as he'd always thought. How strong he was, how quick, how smart he was, it was beyond what most teenagers could do.

Ichigo… sweet, innocent, idealistic Ichigo… he wasn't human.

'_You should not be in here.'_

Grimmjow jumped, the folder falling and its contents spilling across the floor. It was Masaki of course, she had materialised soundlessly, a disapproving expression on her face.

'_The labs are out-of-bounds. Why are you here?'_

"You know why I'm here." Grimmjow replied, a hard edge creeping into his voice. "I knew something was wrong with you. What are you doing with Ichigo?"

Surprisingly, her expression changed to one of pain. _'He can never know what he is, it would destroy him.'_

"What are you going to do to him?" Grimmjow hissed back angrily. If there was anything he could do to save Ichigo, he would do it. Ichigo believed he was human, he would suffer just the same as a real human would.

'_When he turns Eighteen, Ichigo will begin working on the Solution. He will find a way to fix the Earth and once he does…'_ She stopped, seemingly upset if that was even possible. _'Ichigo will upload his consciousness to the Mainframe. The human's will be woken from cryosleep and the Earth will be saved.'_

"You'll kill him." Grimmjow said in disgust.

'_Ichigo isn't alive.' _She replied cooly, looked at him with a hard expression. _'Ichigo was built for this purpose and he will fulfil this purpose.'_

"Isn't he your son, do you not feel anything for him?"

'_Of course I do. Ichigo is my child and I am very proud of him and what he will achieve. That he was built for this great purpose. There can be no higher honour. And you will not mention any of this to Ichigo if you value your life. His belief is greater than anyone's life.'_

…

It was the day before his eighteenth birthday and Ichigo was filled with a nervous anticipation at the thought of finishing his final test and beginning to work on the Solution. Masaki had given him the day off, telling him to relax in preparation for tomorrow. This of course meant he was going to spend the entire day with Grimmjow, whom he found in the Kitchen that morning.

"So…" Ichigo started, pulling his own food towards him. "Any plans for today?"

"Oh you know, I was just going to wander about aimlessly like always." Grimmjow replied with a smile. "What about you, more lessons?"

"I have the day off." Ichigo finished the food quickly and pushed his plate away. "Tomorrow's my birthday so I'm allowed to relax."

Grimmjow frowned for a moment, but then it was replaced with a smile. "Well then, how about an early birthday present?" Ichigo only raised an eyebrow questioningly as they stood and Grimmjow offered him a hand. "Come on."

He took the hand and followed Grimmjow. It didn't take long to figure out where they were going. "It's broken you know." Ichigo informed him glumly outside the door to the Holo-Deck. The room was actually a giant machine, capable of creating any hologram they desired in almost perfect photo-realism. You could even touch the surrounding but much like Masaki, you couldn't feel them. "My Mother disabled it years ago, too much of a distraction apparently."

"Ah but in all my spare time I've managed to fix it." Grimmjow replied as the door opened and he beckoned Ichigo in with a smile. "So tell me, where do you want to go?"

"The forest." Ichigo replied without hesitation. It was something he'd never spoken about aloud, his dreams about walking in a forest. It haunted him in a way, to know that one day he might be able to if he found the Solution. "With birds and squirrels and mice…" He stopped abruptly as their surroundings changed into the world from his dreams. "It's perfect." He whispered.

"Come and sit." Grimmjow was on the floor, a picnic blanket spread out beneath him. Ichigo did sit, scooting close to the other man with a shy smile. He smiled back but said nothing as Ichigo lost himself in this new world again. Finally, he spoke again in a quiet voice as if not to disturb their surroundings, which of course, was impossible. "What do you want most in the world?"

"To save it." Ichigo replied instantly.

Grimmjow rolled his eyes. "But what do _you_ want. Something selfish."

He had to think about that for a moment, but then as he looked at Grimmjow and smiled. "This." He replied. "To walk barefoot in a real forest, to hear real animals around me. To feel the wind and smell the trees." Leaning closer to the other, Ichigo felt his heart start racing. "That's been my dream for as long as I can remember. But what I really want, something really selfish that I have no right to ask for… it's you."

And like in all those books and movies, Ichigo closed the space between them and kissed Grimmjow before he could respond. It was just as perfect and amazing as they said it would be too. Then he pulled back, embarrassed by his actions. He tried to stumble out an apology but the words never got to leave his mouth because Grimmjow was kissing him again.

Grimmjow's lips were so warm against his own, to the point Ichigo could feel a burning inside him because of it. It didn't lesson, the more they kissed, the worse the need became. Soon Ichigo found himself on his back, his clothes being pulled off but he didn't mind, no he wanted this. It was more perfect then he could have imagined, if he wasn't in love with Grimmjow before, he certainly was now and surely, Grimmjow felt the same to be doing this with him.

"I love you." Ichigo said afterwards, curling up close to the other man. Grimmjow didn't respond, his fingers just continued running through his hair. The longer the silence went on, the more embarrassed Ichigo began to feel.

Thankfully his Mother appeared, seemingly unconcerned by their nakedness. _'Ichigo come, you must eat and rest for tomorrow. There's no time to waste.'_

Ichigo didn't need telling twice. He quickly changed and followed her out of the room, eager to be away from Grimmjow and he didn't look back.

…

Grimmjow had watched Ichigo leave the Holo-Deck without a word, only sighing deeply when the door shut behind him. "I love you too." He said quietly, but only the computerised animals heard his reply.

Could Ichigo truly love him? He was created for one purpose, so why would his creators allow him to feel love, to function like this? Ichigo's body was just as human as his own it seemed. So what were the scientists really creating here with him?

He didn't see Ichigo after that. Where he had gone, Masaki was keeping them separated, no doubt because of their earlier actions. This suspicion was confirmed when she came to see him the following morning.

'_Follow me.' _That was all she said before walking away, leaving Grimmjow no choice but to follow. She took him to the Medical Bay where he found Ichigo lying unconscious on a gurney. '_Do not worry, Ichigo is fine. I am currently uploading the last of our data to his consciousness. I do this every year, increasing his intelligence bit by bit, to ensure he is no overwhelmed by information.'_

"Why are you telling me this?" Grimmjow asked, approaching the gurney and carefully taking one of Ichigo's hands in his own. It was as cold as ice.

'_Because you need to understand why Ichigo is so important, and why I cannot afford for him to be distracted, especially by you.' _He looked up sharply at that, but Masaki's eyes were on Ichigo. _'That is why I have decided to remove his memories of you.'_

There was a stunned silence following this statement. "You… you can't do that!" Grimmjow finally stammered out.

'_I can and I have done. You have no reason to remain here now so I think it is time you left. Return to whatever life you had before coming here and do not tell anyone of this place. I will protect Ichigo by any means necessary. If you do not leave, I will have no choice but to kill you.'_

"How could you do that to him?" Grimmjow asked in disgust, his grip on Ichigo's unresponsive hand tightening. "How could you make him forget? He would never forgive you."

Her gaze turned to him for the first time. _'He will not have to forgive me because you no longer exist.'_

She was right of course, Ichigo wouldn't know any different once he woke up. So Grimmjow had two choices, stay and die, or leave in the hopes of one day finding his way back to Ichigo. "Alright." He finally said, letting go of Ichigo's hand and stepping away. "I'll leave."

'_I'm glad we could come to an understanding.'_

…

Ichigo woke up following his examination and had to wait several minutes for the nausea to subside. For some reason it seemed worse then he could ever remember. He looked up as the door opened, heart sinking when he saw it was only his Mother. "Where's Grimmjow?" He asked.

'_Grimmjow is gone.' _She replied, concern clear on her face as she looked at him. '_He just left about an hour ago. He wanted me to tell you he said… goodbye.'_

"That's it… just goodbye?" Ichigo asked, a tear spilling over his cheek when she only nodded. He quickly wiped it away and sighed deeply. After a long pause once he'd gotten control of himself, Ichigo stood up. "Then I better get to work. The Solution won't find itself."

Ichigo throw himself into his work, keeping his mind and body busy so to not allow his thoughts to wonder to Grimmjow. Occasionally however, the man slipped into his conscious thoughts and the pain that came with these thoughts was almost unbearable. Why had he done this? Why did he pretend to care and then leave, without even saying goodbye? Ichigo would never know. He would never see Grimmjow again, no matter how much he wished he could.

Five years passed by and every day Ichigo worked tirelessly in the labs, only stopping to either rest or eat. There was nothing outside of his work, nothing that could pull him away from this important duty. Then finally the day came, his latest compound not only countered and destroyed the toxins, what was left afterwards would help speed up the Earth's healing process. It was more than he could have ever hoped for.

Masaki appeared as he finished creating the final sample. _'Well done Ichigo, I am very proud of you.'_

He smiled, carefully putting the sample tube in a sterile environment well out of harms way. "I'm glad it's done. Now we can fix things."

'_Ichigo, there is something you need to know. Now that you have completed this work, you are ready to know the whole truth.' _She lead him through the labs, through a door so carefully hidden Ichigo had never noticed it before. It lead into a room full of machinery, a chair sat at it's centre. _'This is the Mainframe.'_ His Mother explained, standing next to the chair as he approached.

"Why are we here?" She smiled sadly and Ichigo knew something was wrong. "Mother what happens now?"

'_Now you must upload your consciousness to the Mainframe. We can then begin to synthesise your compound quickly and effectively. We can save the world. But only if you do this final task.'_

"How can I upload my consciousness to a machine?" Ichigo was confused, more than confused, none of this made sense.

'_Ichigo… you are not Human. You were created by the scientists because they had run out of time. You would not age, nor become ill. You could continue their work indefinitely until the Solution was found. But your mind is the key, it is needed to finish this great work you have created.'_

Ichigo couldn't breathe, he started to hyperventilate, but then realised he didn't need to breathe because he wasn't human and then the laughter started. "So everything you've told me is a lie?" He asked once he'd finally calmed down enough to speak. "I've never had any choice, any free will. My whole life has been controlled and I have no say? I have no feelings, no dreams of my own?!"

'_Of course you do.'_ Masaki replied, reading out to him with hands he couldn't feel. _'Your thoughts, your feelings are your own. They always have been.'_

"And Grimmjow?" He asked, voice rising in despair. "Was he some sort of test?!"

'_No, Grimmjow was your choice.'_

"So where is he?!" Ichigo yelled. Masaki didn't answer and he left, going to only place Ichigo knew could make him feel something real.

The Holo-Deck still worked after Grimmjow had fixed it and Ichigo loaded up the program with little effort. The forest came to life around him again and Ichigo crossed the room, sitting down on the picnic blanket next to Grimmjow, as he had done over five years ago. He reached out to touch the recreated man, but his fingers passed through the man's cheek.

"Come back." He whispered in a broken voice. "Please, come back to me."

Grimmjow didn't reply, he couldn't of course since he wasn't really there and the illusion shattered. Ichigo couldn't stay there and he left, finding himself back in his room a few minutes later. Why had his Mother lied to him all this time? He looked down at his trembling hands. Was he really not human? Maybe that's why Grimmjow left, because he found out and couldn't bear the thought of being with a human. The thought broke his heart, or whatever he had in place of a heart.

Masaki didn't come to him that night. This was probably for the best because Ichigo wasn't ready to talk to her again. He wasn't ready to do anything, the thought of leaving his room was too difficult to manage. But that morning when he woke up, Ichigo had come to his decision. He would upload himself to the Mainframe, if only to end the pain that had become his existence.

There was only one thing to do first.

Ichigo stopped in the labs and set to work. It took a few hours but finally he finished his last and hopefully successful work. Then he stood up and walked through to the Mainframe, sitting in the chair. Masaki appeared at his side, smiling softly as he picked up the needle.

'_Do you want anything? One last wish?'_

Ichigo paused, tears falling down his cheeks. "I want to see Grimmjow, one last time."

…

Grimmjow had spent the last five years returning the the PEACE Facility every day. He would stay outside the doors from dawn until dusk, sometimes yelling at Masaki to let him in, sometimes just sitting quietly and waiting. So far, no luck. The doors remained firmly shut. He had given up the idea of brute force after the first week. The only was through the doors was if Masaki opened them.

So when the doors swung open one day, Grimmjow didn't even notice at first. When he looked up and saw the open Airlock he was sure he was hallucinating. But no, he could indeed enter the facility again. Running inside, he followed a series of opening doors which led him through the labs again.

So far he hadn't seen Ichigo but surely that was where he was heading now. And sure enough, through another door set in the far wall of the labs he found the orange haired man sat surrounded by machinery. Their eyes met and Ichigo's face showed all the disbelief he himself felt.

"Grimmjow?" He asked, as if he didn't quite believe he was stood there.

"Ichigo." Closing the gap between them he pulled Ichigo out of the chair and held him tightly. After a moment Ichigo's arms wrapped around him too. "You remember me?"

"Of course." Ichigo pulled back, a frown appearing. "How could I forget you?" And then Grimmjow realised that Masaki had been bluffing. She had never intended to remove Ichigo's memories. "You came back, why?"

He looked into those beautiful brown eyes, which were so human that he found it hard to believe Ichigo really wasn't human himself. "I never got to tell you, I love you too." Ichigo's smile was so bright it was contagious and Grimmjow felt himself smiling too. They kissed for a long time after that, but eventually Ichigo pulled away, biting his bottom lip as he glanced back at the chair. "What's wrong?"

"I… have to go now." He replied haltingly. "You're my last wish, I wanted to see you one last time."

So that was why Masaki had let him in. "I don't understand, where are you going?"

Ichigo pulled out of his arms. "I'm not like you Grimmjow. I'm not… human." His face, that perfect face expressed so much pain. "I can't be with you. I have to upload my consciousness to the Mainframe. I'm going to save the world, for you."

"How long do we have?"

He shook his head. "No time." And he sat in the chair again. "You'll find someone else, real love, I know you will. I'm just a copy, nothing about me is original. My appearance, my voice, my body. None of it's mine."

"Ichigo…" Grimmjow crouched down next to him and took his hands, refusing to let go when he pulled away. "You are your own person with your own thoughts, dreams and desires. You wanted to stand in a forest remember? No-one else gave you that dream. It's your own desire for me, no-one else could give you that. It's your own stupid nobility that's making you do this, nothing else."

Ichigo leaned forward suddenly and kissed him hard. "I love you."

With that he inserted a needle into his arm and went limp. "Ichigo?" Grimmjow asked, shaking him but got no response. "Ichigo?!"

Masaki finally appeared, smiling sadly at him. _'The transfer was a success. The data has been uploaded to the Mainframe, Ichigo is… gone.'_

"And what did it cost you?" Grimmjow asked bitterly, realising it was too late for Ichigo. He couldn't save him.

'_My Son.'_

And then Masaki too was gone, leaving him alone. He knew she wouldn't come back.

He pulled Ichigo from the chair, holding him tightly in his arms as he sat down on the floor. It didn't matter that he'd disconnected the body, his mind was already gone. They no longer needed his body. Ichigo, always the dreamer, always the believer, had died for his work. They were never meant to meet, Grimmjow was never supposed to fall in love with him, but he had. The fact that Ichigo wasn't human meant less than nothing to him, Ichigo was his everything, human or not and now he was gone.

So what was left for him now?

Nothing.

Grimmjow slowly placed Ichigo on the floor and stood up to leave. If he went outside without protective gear, it wouldn't take long for the world to kill him. That was his current plan. Halfway through the labs however, a monitor flickered to life and caught his attention. It was cycling through some data and then a prompt flashed across the screen.

_Activate Project HYOU?_

_Yes / No_

"HYOU?" Grimmjow muttered, looking around for anything that might tell him what this was. Finally he found a letter, which was surprisingly addressed to him. Slowly he opened it.

_Grimmjow,_

_I hope you find this letter, I hope I get to see you one more time before I finish this. Words can't describe what I feel for you. If this wasn't my life, if I didn't have to die for this cause, I would've chosen you. I would've escaped with you and found some corner of the Earth to live out our days on._

_But I can't leave, and I can't delay the inevitable. My time is short and I don't know if I'll ever get the chance to explain this to you._

_I love you._

_So I've left you a gift, Hyou. _

_It's me, it's you, it's us. Something we could never have in reality but something I can create for you. A child that should never have existed, much like our love. Please look after them, the Project will only activate if you agree to it. If not, maybe someone in the future will look after our child, I'll never know._

_My human form was based off another man, his name is Kaien Shiba, this child is my DNA and yours. It's the best I could do with what I am. Hyou is their name. It means Panther. I remember you telling me once that it was your favourite animal._

_I remember everything you told me. Every laugh, every kiss, every touch._

_Please take care of our child, please take care of what I've left behind for you._

_Always yours, Ichigo._

Grimmjow stared at the letter for a long time after he'd finished reading. Then finally he looked up at the screen which was still awaiting an answer.

He had been alone his entire life. His parents had died of exposure when he was only seven and since then, Grimmjow had learned not to trust anyone because they would kill you in a second if they thought you had anything of value, even a scrap of food. His parents, his faith in humanity, Ichigo... all gone. Was this really a world he could bring a child into?

Yes or No?

Grimmjow chose.

…

Ten years had passed since Ichigo uploaded his consciousness to the Mainframe. Ten years since the world began to heal again. The air was breathable once more, the toxic storms and rains a thing of the past. The trees began to grow again around the PEACE Facility and animals began returning in numbers to the world.

The scientists returned too, one by one waking up from cryosleep. Soon civilians were woken too and then followed the children. The humans were making their return to the world once more. Out in the growing forest surrounding the facility, Grimmjow watched his and Ichigo's child play. He was growing older now and questions were coming that he knew would be hard to answer, about Ichigo, about his absence and where he was now.

Ichigo, an android with more humanity in him than most humans could ever hope to learn. Ichigo, who had fallen in love with a human and created an impossible child who was now running through the trees, living his wish to be in the forests.

Grimmjow sighed deeply, keeping a careful eye on their son, but a small smiled played across his lips. "You did it Ichigo. You got your wish."


End file.
